Courtney Wilmoth has always balanced two disciplines: technical precision and the written word. In high school, she was honored as her district’s top English student. Now, as an honors chemical engineering major, she holds a patent for water purification technology, proof that strong communication and scientific innovation can go hand in hand. When she visited the U of A as an incoming freshman, Wilmoth planned to earn a degree in English and go to law school. It was a visit to a lab in the Food Science Department during that initial visit that inspired her to plot a new course.

“The student who showed me her lab told me about designing and creating, and how she was educating rural Arkansans about different growing practices in the rice industry,” Wilmoth explained. “My eyes just lit up. I told myself I can do anything for one semester, but I fell in love with the science.”

Her passion for science led her to the 2024 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Student Conference, where her research earned top recognition in the undergraduate poster competition. The project, a membrane filtration system developed in collaboration with her mentor, Thomas McKean III, a chemical engineering Ph.D. candidate, was later purchased by the company that funded the research — a rare achievement for an undergraduate. Wilmoth believes her interdisciplinary education, a pillar of the Honors College, has been a major factor in her success. She is passionate about education and “creating a bridge” between scientific concepts and the people who might support that science or benefit from it. This unique expertise led to a third-place finish for her technical paper presentation at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Mid-America Regional Conference in April.

When she arrived in Fayetteville, Wilmoth was determined to take full advantage of every opportunity. As a freshman, she joined a faculty-led study-abroad trip to England, where she explored document preservation at The British Museum. Later, she participated in the Sustainability in the European Food System program in Ghent, Belgium. While the two programs focused on very different topics, Wilmoth thoughtfully connected both experiences to her academic goals and integrated them into her research.

“My travel abroad experiences were transformational to my studies,” Wilmoth said. “They were my first introduction to interdisciplinary study and provided experiences that showed me I could connect my interests in engineering and English.”

Wilmoth also credits the wide variety of seminars and research opportunities tailored for honors students as central to her academic growth and soon-to-be career.

“The seminars allowed me to dip my toe into topics that I had no experience or ideas about,” Wilmoth said. “I wasn’t expected to know anything about the topics, and instructors knew we wanted to explore and learn.”  Wilmoth secured internships with Toyota and Phillips 66 during the summers before and after her junior year. Both opportunities allowed her to apply her academic knowledge and communication skills in a real-world setting. At Phillips 66, she translated complex scientific regulations into clear guidance for oil and gas professionals navigating hybrid vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell policies under new legislation. In the lab, Wilmoth was a part of McKean’s membrane science research team. Membranes are used in a wide variety of industries to assist filtration in gas and liquid mediums. Her work focused on identifying real-world applications for the membranes being developed, leading to a discovery that could address a health challenge affecting approximately 43 million people across the country, with particular relevance to Arkansas.

“For thousands of Arkansans their only access to water is from wells,” Wilmoth said. “Those wells are not regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and are often not filtered adequately to be safe for drinking. Because Arkansas is an agricultural hub, many of the water contaminants found in our wells are nitrates and phosphates, which are not removed by typical filtration methods, even if they’re being utilized.” The membranes Wilmoth worked with are made of polyethersulfone, similar to those in Brita water filters but enhanced with improved filtration capabilities. The membranes developed in her lab are adapted to have increased ion exchange capacity, allowing them to remove contaminants by both size exclusion and charge attraction. This improved function removes small, charged particles like heavy metals without sacrificing flow rates.

Her research aimed to develop filtration methods that work without electricity or running water, benefiting those who rely on or have been affected by natural disasters. Last year, Wilmoth traveled to Batesville, Arkansas, to present her lab’s finding to the project’s funding company, proposing a design for a portable filtration device. Impressed by the idea, the company not only continued funding the research but expressed interest in manufacturing the device’s practical components. With a patent application recently approved and production on the horizon, Wilmoth combined her writing and research skills again to draft the invention disclosure. She compiled notes and schematics to document the research and data, ensuring a clear and comprehensive application.

Although Wilmoth has been involved in this research for two years, she attributes the development of the device to McKean. Prototype fabrication has also relied on workshop support from the U of A’s Ralph E. Martin Chemical Engineering Department, making it a true team effort. For Wilmoth, this experience in collaboration and teamwork has been just as valuable as the research itself.  

McKean, in turn, praises Wilmoth for making sure that the project moved forward when he was pulled away by other obligations and for maintaining momentum through design challenges in her own work.

“Thanks to the work Courtney completed, we now have the testing platform we need to fully demonstrate the value of the membranes we’re making,” McKean said. “We hope to develop alternatives to very complex water treatment systems that are more simple, cost-effective and potentially portable.”

McKean appreciates the opportunity to work with honors students in his lab, noting that they bring fresh perspectives to ongoing projects.

“Explaining the project to them is a great way to make sure I have all the fundamentals locked down and nothing is being overlooked,” he said. “We have lots of discussions about project goals and how to capture the data we need to reach them. Through these conversations the project evolves and improves over time.”

Upon graduation, Wilmoth accepted a position to join the manufacturing and production quality team as a subject matter expert (SME) at Toyota Motors North America in Plano, Texas, focusing on material quality of electric vehicle batteries. Before starting this role, she will undergo a unique 6- to 18-month training program, working with various engineering teams to address a range of issues, from paint formulation to rust and corrosion control. She’s eager to learn how each team contributes to the company and to continue fueling her passion for learning, a passion nurtured by her academic opportunities in honors.

Courtney Wilmoth (right) was part of Thomas McKean’s (left) membrane science research team. Her research focused on water filtration methods that operate without electricity or running water.